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¹⁸ THE LORD IS NEAR TO ALL WHO CALL ON HIM,
    to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145, David

We said yesterday that many of God’s people feel worn out and discouraged at the present time, but God wants us to know that He’s with us, especially when we’re going through trials and difficulties.

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
    AN EVER-PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE.
² THEREFORE WE WILL NOT FEAR, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging. Psalm 46

The Living Bible quotes Psalm 46:1, saying that God is, ‘A TESTED HELP IN TIMES OF TROUBLE’. God stays with us and helps us in trying times.

The Message Bible also renders the opening verses of this psalm very vividly;

People talk about, ‘Fair weather golfers or runners’, but God isn’t like that. He’s with us from the beginning of our journey to the end, so if you’re in difficulty, press in and ask for His help. He’ll never abandon us.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

¹⁸ THE LORD IS NEAR TO ALL WHO CALL ON HIM,
    to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145, David

Someone has said, ‘The Lord is only a prayer away’ and it’s true. We’re His children and we can come before Him whenever we choose. Many times David turned to the Lord when he was in distress. His psalms often began with his problems but usually ended in praise and thanksgiving. God doesn’t want His children burdened and stressed anymore than earthly parents, so if you’re in difficulty today call out to Him. He won’t ignore His children in a time of need.

He’s waiting to hear your call, your voice today, He knows our voices individually. Call on Him today and believe that He will intervene on your behalf, however dire your circumstances might be.

59 Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,
    nor his ear too dull to hear. Isaiah 59:1

Many of the Lord’s people need encouraged at the present moment and David’s psalms are a wonderful place to go and find the Lord’s help. He lived his life and walked through many difficulties but he held onto God through them all. Hallelujah

⁶ This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
    he saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
    and he delivers them. Psalm 34

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

Let us, with a gladsome mind, praise the LORD, for He is kind: for His mercies shall endure, ever faithful, ever sure. Opening verse of the Hymn by poet John Milton 1623, based on Psalm 136

I was reminded of the words of this old hymn this morning when I read Daniel 3; Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon erected a large golden image on the plain of Dura and demanded that everyone bow down and worship it. The three Hebrew exiles and Daniel’s close friends had to make a far reaching decision on their future. Would they obey the demands of their pagan ruler or take a stand for the Lord and perhaps lose their lives?

⁷ Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshipped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

⁸ At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. Daniel 3

The Jews who didn’t bow to the statue when the music played were denounced to the king. The enemy controlled Babylon and orchestrated this attack on the people of God. Taking a public stand for the Lord can come with a cost, whatever the circumstances.

¹³ Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, ¹⁴ … if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. THEN WHAT GOD WILL BE ABLE TO RESCUE YOU FROM MY HAND?’ 

The King would not tolerate any challenge to his authority (many leaders still react in the same way in today’s society) but these three men stood firm and didn’t buckle under intense pressure.

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, THAT WE WILL NOT SERVE YOUR GODS OR WORSHIP THE IMAGE OF GOLD YOU HAVE SET UP.’

No one wants to be put in such a position but we also live in societies which oppose the God we serve and we must stand firm for the Lord in the face of enemy harassment. May God enable us in such situations to always take our stand for Him.

²⁵ He said, ‘Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’

²⁶ Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, ‘Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!’

The Lord Himself came down to rescue His loyal servants and Nebuchadnezzar’s heart was completely changed towards them. God does often change’s the hearts of people who would be our enemies when we are yielded to Him. These young exiles didn’t oppose the pagan king’s authority, but they wouldn’t betray their God. God give grace to your children in difficult situations this day and may you always be glorified in our lives, no matter how great the trials we face.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3

⁹ He isn’t really being slow about his promised return, even though it sometimes seems that way. But he is waiting, for the good reason that he is not willing that any should perish, and he is giving more time for sinners to repent. 2 Peter 3, The Living Bible

The world is in a time of transition now and many believers are finding this time very long – waiting never seems easy, but God’s timing is always perfect.

The story of Elijah’s showdown with the pagan prophets of Baal and Asherah is well known. 1 Kings 18 Jezebel then boasted what she would do to Elijah for putting those false prophets to death and he fled for his life, leaving Ahab and Jezebel in power.

9 The prophet Elisha summoned a man from the company of the prophets and said to him, ‘Tuck your cloak into your belt, take this flask of olive oil with you and go to Ramoth Gilead. ² When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him into an inner room. ³ Then take the flask and pour the oil on his head and declare, “This is what the Lord says: I anoint you king over Israel.” Then open the door and run; don’t delay!’ 2 Kings 9

Elisha was now the prophet in Israel and he gave a younger man the task of going to Jehu, getting alone with him and anointing him king in Israel. Jehu was told through the prophet to cut off Ahab’s whole line from Israel, including Jezebel.

²² When Joram saw Jehu he asked, ‘Have you come in peace, Jehu?’

‘How can there be peace,’ Jehu replied, ‘as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?’

²⁴ Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart and he slumped down in his chariot. 2 Kings 9

God wasn’t going after a few branches, He wanted the whole tree destroyed, so that no more fruit could come from it and Israel would be safe. Jehu drove into Jezreel and immediately met Jezebel, wife of Ahab. He had the eunuchs throw her from a balcony under his horses and chariots and she also died.

³⁴ Jehu went in and ate and drank. ‘Take care of that cursed woman,’ he said, ‘and bury her, for she was a king’s daughter.’ ³⁵ But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands. ³⁶ They went back and told Jehu, who said, ‘This is the word of the Lord that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: on the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel’s flesh. ³⁷ Jezebel’s body will be like dung on the ground in the plot at Jezreel, so that no one will be able to say, “This is Jezebel.”’ 2 Kings 9

The power of the occult was broken in Israel that day by a man anointed away from public view. A new day had begun and we are in a similar place today, God is working to remove corrupt systems of leadership deep rooted in society. It may seem to be taking a long time, but when it’s over we’ll all be free of the tyranny of the past. As Ana Werner’s post said, ‘Hold on’, breakthrough is coming.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

⁴⁴ ‘In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up A KINGDOM THAT WILL NEVER BE DESTROYED, nor will it be left to another people. IT WILL CRUSH ALL THOSE KINGDOMS AND BRING THEM TO AN END, but it will itself endure for ever. Daniel 2

It is worth reading this scripture from Daniel again, God has declared the end from the beginning a long time ago in the land of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar represented the head of the great statue in the land of Babylon and right at it’s heart God announced that one day He would bring it all to an end. No matter how imposing the statue, how magnificent it’s appearance, God has declared every trace of it and the power of those earthly kingdoms will be gone. Daniel prophesied God’s coming Kingdom will mean the end of all rulership in rebellion to Him.

⁴⁵ This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands – a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.

‘The great God has shown the king (AND FUTURE PEOPLE) what will take place in the future. THE DREAM IS TRUE AND ITS INTERPRETATION IS TRUSTWORTHY.’

The next thing to happen in the King’s court is very significant and unexpected.  This great king, before whom everyone who came into his presence bowed, threw himself on the ground before God’s representative. Something in Nebuchadnezzar bowed low in the presence of this word from God.

⁴⁶ Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honour and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. ⁴⁷ The king said to Daniel, ‘Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.’

The man who was the HEAD OF ALL POWER ON EARTH PROSTRATED HIMSELF IN THE PRESENCE OF A SERVANT OF GOD. I believe this was far beyond anything which had ever happened in the palace in Babylon. The time will come again when world rulers will bow low before the children of the living God, the revealer of mysteries.

Daniel was raised to a high position by the king and he brought his three friends up with him, as chief administrators in the kingdom of Babylon. Daniel remained at the royal court. The king valued his wisdom and kept him by his side. God will once again raise up His children to rule in positions of influence. Hallelujah

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

²⁸ but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Daniel 2

Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar that his dream had come from God and the interpretation was also from Him. Though Daniel had a special gift of interpreting dreams he acknowledged that on this occasion everything was from God. He didn’t claim anything for himself, perhaps he realised that this dream was for God’s people in the future and not just the current king. God’s word is a living word and can speak to people at different times and in various situations. Daniel is one of the prophets whose words speak down the ages, even to our own time.

³⁰ As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind. Daniel 2

Daniel declared that the dream was given to reveal the future to the King of Babylon, who held the surviving exiles from Judah under his rule. The fact that Daniel was able to tell the King his dream, confirmed the interpretation was true.

³¹ ‘Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue – an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. ³² The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, ³³ its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. ³⁴ While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them.

What did God speak to King Nebuchadnezzar about? FUTURE KINGDOMS! He spoke to the King about the Kingdoms that were to follow his own. God’s words and pictures may initially be a mystery, but they should relate to us. The King both understood the subject and would have given his attention to it.

³⁵ Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing-floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.

These kingdoms formed part of a whole picture, they were of this world, but someday they would pass without leaving a trace. The cause of their passing would not come by human hands, something outside of men would bring it about. The ‘Rock’, a name of the Lord, would, ‘fill the whole earth’.

We’ve already said Daniel’s words spoke to the far future. Could this be the time when the kingdoms of this world disappear leaving no trace and a new kingdom is established right across the whole earth? We’ll see what comes forth in the following days but I believe these are unique days in which we’re living. God’s word cannot fail and the prophecies of Daniel will stand. Amen

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

²² He reveals deep and hidden things;
    he knows what lies in darkness,
    and light dwells with him. Daniel 2

Daniel’s earliest encounter with God was as the ‘REVEALER OF MYSTERIES’. We said last week that natural HUMAN UNDERSTANDING WILL ONLY TAKE US SO FAR. Daniel and his three friends had excelled in their learning in the courts of the Babylonian King, but God’s wisdom is far above the best of men. We also said that the CRISIS WAS GOD’S CRISIS, GOD ORCHESTRATED A CRISIS FOR HIS PURPOSES. God was about to place His sons right at the heart of a governmental system controlled by the powers of darkness. I believe God is moving in a similar way right now to break unrighteous strongholds in our world.

An new day is dawning,
A new age to come,
When the children of promise,
Shall flow together as one:
A truth long neglected,
But the time has now come,
When the children of promise,
Shall flow together as one. (An old chorus by Dave Bilbrough comes to mind)

When God made the earth and heavens in Genesis it was He who created light and darkness, yet many people believe that they can hide from God and somehow He won’t see them. God also spoke through the prophet Isaiah to declare who He was and what He does for mankind.

    I am the Lord, and there is no other.
⁷ I form the light and create darkness,
    I bring prosperity and create disaster;
    I, the Lord, do all these things. Isaiah 45

In the Book of James God is also, ‘the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows’. James 1:17

God decided to give far reaching revelation in the court of Nebuchadnezzar, a powerful pagan king. Then He revealed the dream and vision the king had seen to Daniel and his friends. It’s interesting that Daniel used the revelation to save all the wise men of Babylon, who later conspired to destroy him. God knew this would happen but still allowed those people to be saved. He still gives the same opportunity for people today who deny Him to turn and receive mercy, but many things are being exposed, no doubt more will follow.

THIS IS A DAY OF REVEALING OF HIDDEN THINGS ON THE EARTH.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

¹⁰ The astrologers answered the king, ‘THERE IS NO ONE ON EARTH who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. ¹¹ What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.’ Daniel 2

We said yesterday that ALL WORLDLY WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING IS LIMITED! Nebuchadnezzar was the ruler of a vast empire and he had the best people of this empire on his staff, but they couldn’t meet his demands. They did however point to a higher realm in the spirit where the knowledge he needed was available. Unfortunately many today people today still seek to tap into this knowledge illegitimately, by the occult. (Like Saul with the witch of Endor, but it did him no good.)

¹² This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. ¹³ So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death. Daniel 2

The failure of the of the King’s advisors to meet his demands led to a crisis, (SOMETIMES A CRISIS CAN BE GOD’S CRISIS!) but Daniel came forth as the man of the hour. He went before the King to ask for time ‘so that he might interpret his dream for him’. Daniel and his friends were facing a death sentence but he knew that God could rescue them. They had already come out as the best ‘graduates’ after three years of training. God had been preparing them for a place of service and leadership, not for sudden death. Daniel may have taken some comfort from this.

Daniel explained the situation to his friends, it’s GOOD TO HAVE LIKEMINDED FRIENDS TO SHARE WITH IN A CRISIS. All of them prayed but Daniel was the one pressing into God for the answer they needed so badly.

¹⁹ During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven ²⁰ and said:

 

¹⁷ To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. Daniel 1

We actually know someone who is graduating from university this very day after a period of intense study. God gave increased knowledge and understanding to the young Hebrew exiles and they came out top of their year.

¹⁸ At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹ The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. ²⁰ In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, HE FOUND THEM TEN TIMES BETTER than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. Daniel 1

These young Hebrew men had to undergo and pass a period of intense training before they could serve in an earthly administration. They had to prove themselves able for their chosen field, but unlike their peers they would also serve the heavenly King. Though they were outstanding in their field, it was the special gift of God to Daniel that would really cause him and them to excel.

¹⁷ To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. AND DANIEL COULD UNDERSTAND VISIONS AND DREAMS OF ALL KINDS.

While King Nebuchadnezzar slept God spoke to him through his dreams and he needed someone to interpret them for him. However, he introduced a condition which completely dumbfounded his wise men.

⁴ Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “Long live the king! Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.”

⁵ But the king said to the astrologers, “This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut in pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. ⁶ But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive gifts and rewards and great honour. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me” Daniel 2

God arranged a situation which only those connected with Him could resolve. The worldly wisdom of those in the King’s court was useless. The wisdom of this world will only take us so far and is often at odds with God’s solutions to the problems we face. For example, ministries facing a shortfall in their funding have been told by the Spirit to give resources to leaders who can’t afford to buy it. When they were obedient, their income increased and their needs were met. Hallelujah

It’s good to get knowledge and understanding, but like Daniel we need the Lord to give us His solutions to the situations we face.

⁸ ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,’
declares the Lord.
⁹ ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ Isaiah 55

May the Lord bless and keep us today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

⁸ But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself in this way. Daniel 1

Daniel saw his circumstances very differently from those around him who were happy to indulge in the royal food and wine of the king’s palace. After all what could be wrong with consuming the same fare as everyone else – but not Daniel and his three friends, they asked to be fed only vegetables and drink water.

The Hebrew word for “Holy” literally means “SEPARATE” or “SET APART”.

Daniel and his fellow exiles were slaves within the Babylonian system but at least in part they decided not to comply with its rules and regulations. They didn’t eat the food, nor drink the wine supplied by its rulers, they kept apart. Everything else in the Book of Daniel followed from this decision to be separated onto the God of Israel by keeping His Kosher laws. Though they lived under the Babylonian system they determined to honour the God of Israel within it. This is very similar to the position of the Church today, we must live and function in this Babylonian world system but yet be set apart for our Lord who has delivered us from its control. We are the only people on earth who have the freedom not to bow down to this system and live now for God’s Kingdom.

¹¹ Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ¹² ‘Please test your servants for ten days: give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.’ ¹⁴ So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. Daniel 1

Daniel was able to use wisdom in approaching the guard in charge of them and God had already ‘GIVEN HIM FAVOUR AND SYMPATHY’ with him. The external system was not favourable towards the Jewish exiles, but just like Joseph in Egypt, God gave favour to His own people living within it. Their first test was a short test of appearance after ten days on a plain diet and they looked better than all their peers. Nothing is too difficult for God.

Then they had three years of intense learning in a different culture, with foreign tutors, in an alien language, yet God brought them out above all their peers.

¹⁷ To these four young men GOD GAVE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF ALL KINDS OF LITERATURE AND LEARNING. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

God had a plan and purpose for these young exiles in Babylon, He brought them out above all the king’s wise men but their hearts were committed to Him. God blesses those who are His, Daniel and his friends prospered in Babylon.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.